Scale the Highest Wall
by bubblecandyrock
Summary: All Nathaniel ever wanted was a normal life. Instead, he got a club of fans, an abusive father, bullies, a best friend who can't stop making him embarrassed, and a bratty sister. Not to mention Castiel, with his ignorant pig-headedness and stupid handsome smirk. Oh yeah, and he's gay. Can't forget that. Eventual CastielxNathaniel
1. Chapter 1

** Yo, I'm alive! XD Some of you may have known this was coming, some might've hoped. Others have no idea what I'm talking about. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a CHAPTER FIC! WHOOOOO! BubbleCandy got off her fat lazy butt and started working on a chapter fic! This is an adventure for both of us! **

** I was going to pre-write it, but it took me so long to get an idea that it would be horrible of me to not post something. Just bear in mind that updates will take longer. **

** Just remember to review. I should have so many reviews I get SICK. So get on that.**

Nathaniel's eyes fluttered open. An alarm was blaring into his ear. As sleep started to ebb away from his mind, he started to remember basic facts.

Monday morning. School in an hour. Work to do.

A small groan escaped past his lips as he heaved himself out of bed, taking quick steps to erase the sluggishness from his movements. And almost tripping over his own feet in the process. No way the author was leaving that important detail out.

Opening the door quietly, the blond teen peered out of his room and heard the tell-tale sound of a hairdryer coming from the bathroom. Looks like Amber had beaten him to the bathroom this morning. Again. And she would hog it until the moment they had to leave. He probably could've complained to his parents about the problem, but that would just make more problems for himself.

Closing the door again, Nathaniel walked to his closet and grabbed some clothes, throwing them on half-heartedly. Throughout the week, he would become more of a morning person. Mondays were the worst though.

He grabbed a tie, putting it on loosely around his neck with expert precision. Leaning in and looking at himself in the mirror, he ran a hand through his bed head hair. It did nothing to tame it. The blonde sighed morosely. Typical. Well, no use dwelling on the incurable.

Nathaniel grabbed his bag before exiting his room, going down the stairs and moving to enter the kitchen for breakfast. Oh, his father was in there. Did he say breakfast? He really meant the door, to get to school early for... Student body president stuff. Stiffly and quickly, he made for the front door, stopping only to slip on his shoes before leaving the house.

Once outside, the blonde allowed himself a deep breath of the cool morning air. A new day. Setting a brisk pace, he started the long journey to school.

XxXxXxpagebreakstuffitystuffstuffxXxXxX

"Ah, Melody! You're here early!" Nathaniel greeted the kind brunette as he entered the student council room. She was hard at work on the pile of papers, and he couldn't help but smile at her diligence.

"N-nathaniel!" she exclaimed, jumping slightly. Melody seemed to take a deep breath. "Sorry, you startled me. I wasn't expecting to see you here so early today."

"It happens from time to time," he replied smoothly. "Well, I'l grab some of those troublesome papers." He took half of her large stack, beaming. Working on these papers would aid him in forgetting about his troubles.

An hour of hard work later, and Nathaniel was reaching the bottom of the stack. Only to come across something that made him groan. Castiel's absentee form. He needed one signed AGAIN. Was that stupid redhead allergic to mandatory classes or something?! Well, he might as well get it over with. The idiot should be at school now.

"I've got to go find Castiel," Nathaniel said with a sigh, leaving for the door. He winced as the stiffness from sitting down for an hour caught up to him. Breifly, he paused to stretch, twisting.

"O-okay," Melody said with a smile. "Good luck, I suppose."

"I'll need it," the student body president agreed, leaving the room. Now, Castiel would be...

In the courtyard.

"But I LOVE you! Am I not good enough?!" Hm? Nathaniel stopped as he heard a female voice drifting from the courtyard as he approached. Curiously, he peered through a window. There was a semi-familiar girl, facing... Castiel? Girls actually liked that insufferable jerk?! Well, he was handsome, but that's about all he had going for him.

"..." Castiel didn't say a word. He simply stared at her, emotionless.

"Why won't you accept my love?!" the girl exclaimed, tears threatening to spill.

"Tch," Castiel began, frowning. "Girls like you are the worst. Throwing the word 'love' around like that. Waste of my time."

As a crying girl rushed past him, Nathaniel gaped at the redhead. How could anyone be so cruel? As soon as he was done here, he would go find that girl.

"What is your problem?!" Nathaniel demanded, storming into the courtyard. Castiel seemed surprised for a moment, before his facial features settled into a smirk.

"Why, I don't know what you're talking about," he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"How can you handle someone's feelings so callously?!"

"Hey, cool it prez," Castiel said, making a 'woah' motion with his hands. "The more I hurt her feelings, the easier it will be for her to get past her silly high school crush on me."

"That's not true at all," Nathaniel glared, harder than he had glared at anyone before. "Not at all." As Castiel's smirk disappeared from his face, he remembered why he came. "But that's not why I'm here. You need to sign this. I'll leave it here." The blond put it on the bench. "Now, I need to go find that girl."

"Oi, prez." Nathaniel stopped with his hand on the door. "What was with that violent reaction? It's like I was rejecting YOU or something."

"Why do YOU care?" Nathaniel countered, sending him a cold gaze that actually seemed to make the other shrink back. Then he was gone, leaving Castiel to wonder what the hell just happenned.

He ended up finding the girl in a practically abandonned section of the school, crying her eyes out. He did his best to comfort her, learning that her name was he had her smiling again, and assured her that Castiel was in no way deserving of her, he gave her a slip to go home early if she wished.

"No, I think I'm okay now," she smiled, her eyes red. "I take my studies seriously, so I don't want to miss a class."

"That's what I like to hear!" Nathaniel gave her a warm smile, but frowned slightly as he noticed her cheeks were flushed. "Are you okay? You're cheeks are red. Do you have a fever? I can escort you to the nurses' office."

"N-no, I'm fine!" she assured him, saying her goodbyes and taking off.

"You're too nice for your own good, Nat."

"Hm? Candy!" Nathaniel exclaimed, taking in the sight of his good friend. "What do you mean?"

"So naive," she sighed, pulling down her blue newsboy cap slightly. "You've managed to gain yourself another admirer." He stared at her in shock.

"H-huh?"

"She was blushing silly," Candy smiled. "She likes your kind and caring attitude. Oh, my little boy is growing up so fast!"

"Candy!"

"Haha, sorry." She waved a gloved hand in a carefree manner. "I just think it's funny that you're determined to loose all these girls that are attached to you, but you can't stand seeing them heartbroken either." Silence. "... Is it because you know the feeling?"

"H-how did you-" Nathaniel began in shock.

"I know you pretty well. Say, I feel like ice cream. Let's go get some!"

"But it's during school-"

"Who cares?! C'mon!"

**Sorry it's so short. I'll work on that... Yeah...**

** REVIEW! PUH-LEASE! That is literally the ONLY thing that gets me writing! I accept pity reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

** So, you guys might want to know that because I'm writing TWO chapter stories at once, the updates will alternate between the two. So the next update the followers will see will be the Vocaloid Uta No Prince Sama crossover, then this one, then back to the other one, etc.**

** PS, if you're not past ep.12, please note that there are SPOILERS :)**

Candy did end up dragging Nathaniel to an ice cream parlour, where she proceeded to try and get details out of him. He refused to give her any information, however. The girl took a mental note that he seemed very tight-lipped about the subject. Whoever it was must have really hurt him.

"But you tell me EVERYTHING!" Candy exclaimed. She didn't care about volume, there was no one else at the bubbly little store. Nathaniel looked guilty, lowering his head. "...Don't you?" she said more quietly, leaning in.

"You haven't been here very long, Candy. So no, there are lots of things I haven't told you about me yet." As he saw her face adopt a depressed expression, he added quickly, "But I've told you more than I have anyone else. You're the only one that knows my sexual orientation, and you know about the..."

"Bruises," Candy whispered gently, swirling her spoon around in the remnants of the ice cream. It was a pink puddle of lukewarm goo at the bottom of the bowl at this point. Nathaniel winced at the mention of the incident.

"Not to mention you seem to be able to read me like an open book," he added, trying to lighten the mood. Candy smiled, her forehead still slightly creased in a frown.

"Just..." she paused, as if trying to collect her thoughts. "Can you tell me if it's someone I'm friends with? I don't think I could handle wondering if I was friends with the person that broke your heart."

"No, no, of course not!" Nathaniel assured her. "HE lives far away from here." Candy started at that, looking up at him with bright blue eyes. She smiled coyly at him.

"Nat, did you just give MOI a hint?"

"Yes," he smiled. As she opened her mouth, he added, "And that's ALL you're getting!" he stood up. "We should really get back to school."

"Yes, yes," Candy sighed. "I've had my fun. And my ice cream."

They both walked out the door, having a slight playful scuffle when Candy stepped in front of him and held the door open for him, claiming that ladies should always go first. Eventually, the student body president managed to force her out the door before him, laughing as she stumbled slightly in her unwilling path out onto the sidewalk. Candy shot him a look of mock-scorn.

"The esteemed student body president, pushing fragile girls!" she said, placing the back of her hand to her forehead and striking a pose you would only see in a cheesy soap opera.

"To be honest, sometimes I forget you're a girl," Nathaniel teased.

He ended up running back to school, a vengeful girl chasing after him. He almost made it safely into school, too, until he tripped.

He fell to the ground, rolling harshly over the pavement, and eventually skidding to a stop near the front steps leading to the main entrance. As he tried to pick himself up, wincing at the pain in his limbs, he registered the sound of someone snickering. Candy fell on her knees next to him, demanding to know if he was okay, but he turned his gaze to the source of the sound.

"Jared," he muttered, looking at the teen through his bangs. He struggled to sit up, getting help from his worried friend.

Although Nathaniel liked to tell people Castiel was the bane of his existence, at the end of the day the redhead was nothing compared to what he dealt with regularly. Jared was one of these people. He always had it out for Nathaniel. And it was always physical.

"What the # #$ is your problem?!" Candy demanded.

"Oh-ho ho, someone's fiery!" Jared guffawed. He stood, making his way over to them. "You get girls to fight your battles now, Mr. Perfect?! Can't blame you, she's a looker."

Nathaniel stood, brushing off Candy's attempts to help. He drew himself up until he was level with his tormentor.

"Back off, Jared," he spat in the jerk's face. Jared leaned in very close, to the point of it being uncomfortable, but Nathaniel didn't lean away. The bell rang, and they stood still for a moment. Then, Jared left, going into the school.

"Nat?!" Candy exclaimed. As soon as the bully was out of sight, the blonde had groaned, quickly reaching for something to support himself. "Where are you hurt?!"

"Try everywhere," Nathaniel said with a pained grin. "But my ankle hurts pretty bad, I must've rolled on it. Can't walk on it, that's for sure."

"You need to go to the nurse's office," Candy said. "No buts!" She added when Nathaniel tried to protest. "You're scratched up pretty bad, and she'll be able to tell how bad your ankle is. But I can't carry you, and you can't walk..." She frowned, then caught sight of something behind him. "Hey, Castiel! Get your fine looking behind over here!" she called. Nathaniel froze, then started shaking his head at her and making "sh" gestures.

"Not until HE leaves," came the all too familiar voice.

"But I REALLY need your help!" A sigh, then footsteps.

"What." Wow, he sounded SO enthusiastic. Just wait till he found out what she was going to try and make him do.

"Nathaniel tripped-" Candy began darkly.

"-over a rock," Nathaniel interrupted. When she turned to look at him, he gave the play-along-or-else face. Then a please face for good measure when she looked hesitant. Castiel raised an eyebrow at the suspicious behaviour.

"A-anyway, he can't walk. And I can't carry him. So-"

"No." Came the short response.

"Aw, come one, but-"

"Never." Candy frowned, wordlessly pulling Nathaniel's arm over her own shoulder.

"Candy?" the blonde asked in confusion.

"We're just going to have to do our best."

"Why don't you two just get the principal-"

"NO!" The two friends burst out, getting another suspicious look. As Candy got ready to lift Nathaniel onto his feet, she glared up at Castiel.

"Aren't you going to leave?!" she spat.

"I want to watch." Candy grumbled something to herself about "the idiocy of some redheads", making Nathaniel chuckle. The laugh was abruptly cut short the minute they tried to move. He sucked in a deep breath, freezing at the pain that shot through his limbs. Neither saw Castiel's slight wince. But seriously, who the hell wouldn't wince?!

"Are you okay?!" Candy exclaimed, but Nathaniel just waved it away with his other hand.

"Keep going," he pleaded through gritted teeth. "We need to put ice on it so it recovers fast." Candy nodded, and they took a step forward again.

Although Nathaniel was prepared for the pain this time, his body wasn't, and his legs buckled. "Nat?!"

Castiel had had enough. Taking two strides forward, he reached Nathaniel, who was slumped over.

'This is going to look so gay,' he groaned inwardly. He hooked one arm underneath the blonde's knees, and the other rested on his back. Then he lifted the surprised teen.

"C-Castiel!" Nathaniel squeaked, a huge blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Shut up."

"Aw, you DO care!"

"No, it was just getting pathetic. Hold the door open, girl!" he barked.

Then they walked through the hallways like that. Nathaniel was thankful that most students were in their classes now, otherwise he might have died.

"This is so embarassing," he murmured, still feeling heat on his cheeks.

"Could be worse," Candy mused, giggling about something. Nathaniel glared at her.

"What are YOU giggling about?!" Castiel growled as they approached the nurse's office.

"Nothing, nothing." she said, looking innocent. "Just glad for the shonen ai moment," she added under her breath. Nathaniel caught it, and his glare intensified. "You know, Nat, it doesn't look very threatening when you've got that cute blush all over your face."

"Shut up," Nathaniel mumbled, turning even redder. Castiel looked down at the other's face and caught himself smiling. He quickly wiped it from his face. Nathaniel was annoying. He hated him.

"This is a one time deal," Castiel declared as he plopped him down on a bed in the office. The nurse began fussing over him immediately. "I still hate you." Then he left.

"SUUUUURE he does," Candy said once the door shut behind the supposedly grumpy redhead.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Nathaniel exclaimed, wincing as the nurse started putting rubbing alchohol on his wounds.

"Nothing, nothing at all~"


	3. Chapter 3

** For those of you who don't know, my spell check doesn't work -.- So please excuse the spelling mistakes you spot.**

Nathaniel was ordered by the nurse to stay in the infirmerary until the end of school bell rang. He tried to protest, since his ankle only needed rest, but both Candy and the nurse made sure he stayed in the bed.

Eventually though, Candy had to leave, and he was left alone to his own devices. There was literally nothing to do. He sighed, glancing out the window.

The window was fairly small, and held a perfect view of the courtyard. Nathaniel ended up staring out the window for quite some time. What he would give to be out there right now. At least there would be something to DO. He groaned in frustration as Castiel sauntered into the courtyard.

"You're ruining the view, neanderthal," he muttered, even though the redhead couldn't hear him through the glass. He watched as Castiel simply paced around a bit, before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Nathaniel's eyebrow twitched. If he wasn't injured... Castiel walked over to the bench, and almost sat on a piece of paper, pulling it off the seat.

That was the absentee form! Nathaniel watched as Castiel examined it, then seemed to scoff, and balled it up, tossing it at the garbage can. The paper bounced off the rim, landing on the ground. The rebel showed no signs of picking it up. The blond was quite ready to murder him at this point. No one would suspect the kind student body president to commit such an act. The police would never find the body... Oh, that body!

He shook his head. Bad thoughts, in more ways than one. He really wanted to look somewhere else, but he had already spent an hour doing nothing, and this was honestly the only thing remotely interesting. He watched Castiel waste time in the courtyard until he fell asleep.

* * *

_**BRRRRRRIIIIIIINGGG!**_

Nathaniel started awakeas the end of school bell rang, sluggishly throwing the covers off. He let the nurse fuss over him until she was content, before heading to the student council room. He walked with a heavy limp, trying not to put too much pressure on his bad ankle.

On his way over, someone shoved him into the lockers. He winced as his head struck the cold metal, opening his eyes to see his attacker.

"Jared," he acknowledged him through gritted teeth. Out of all the bullies that had it out for him in this school, why did he have to run into Jared twice in one day?! And almost everyone had gone home already. Those who were still in the hallway quickly scurried away.

"Aw, someone doesn't look happy to see me," Jared responded with a condescending grin. "I wonder why that-" he punctuated the "that" by kicking Nathaniel's bad ankle "-is?" Nathaniel took a sharp intake of breath, and summoned all of his tired strength to try and push his bully off of him. Jared barely budged. In the blond's defense, he just woke up. He was rewarded by his head being slammed into the locker again, and he blinked several times, wondering why the dizzying black spots dancing across his vision wouldn't go away.

All of a sudden, Jared was gone, and Nathaniel watched in confusion as someone whispered a few threatening words, before the bully scurried off like a rat. The blond was having a hard time recognizing the person, as the black spots plotted against him. Silly black spots. He fought back the urge to giggle, slumping over as the dizziness got worse. He felt hot and shivery in sudden flashes, but he hardly noticed.

"Are you alright, Nathaniel?" A smooth voice asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Nathaniel barely hear it. He tried to wave the person away, like one would wave away a bug.

"G'way," he said, his speech slurred. He fell forwards, the person catching him.

"I'm taking you to the infirmirary," the voice said, picking him up. Nathaniel caught that sentence, and started shaking his head wildly, clutching his head as the dizziness got worse.

"Need to work," he groaned. "Nurs's gone, n'way." A sigh from the mystery person.

"Okay, but I'm going to stay in the room and make sure you've recovered."

"M'kay," he murmured, the dizziness getting so bad his vision was pretty much black.

He barely registered being set down on a chair, and leaned forwards, holding his head.

"Have some water," the concerned voice prompted.

"Where's it?" Nathaniel asked, looking up.

"I'm holding it out in front of you."

"I can't see't," Nathaniel chuckled, making the voice make a noise of worry **(this happened to me once, I really freaked the school nurse out ^^')**.

After a few minutes, his vision was back to normal, and the voice didn't sound like it was coming through a tunnel.

"I feel a bit better now," Nathaniel said, looking up. His eyes widened. "Lysander?!" **(betcha thought it was Castiel XD)**

"You didn't know it was me?" Lysander quizzically raised an eyebrow. Nathaniel gave an awkward smile as answer, reluctant to shake his head. It might make him dizzy again.

"Thank you for the help. I hurt myself earlier today by accident and I've been a little off ever since."

"Your ankle, right? You seemed to react violently when that teen kicked it." Nathaniel winced at that. So Lysander saw that much. "But my question is, if it was an accident... How did he know where to hit?" The blond stared at him in shock, before looking depressed.

"I don't want to talk about it," he muttered. Lysander, opened his mouth, then seemed to think better. Trying to force him would bear no fruit.

"Okay," he relented, making Nathaniel sigh in relief. "But now I'm definetely walking you home after you're done here."

"Won't Castiel miss you?" Nathaniel said, glancing up at him in surprise. He didn't feel like adding the part that Castiel would be angry he was hanging out with his enemy.

"He will not perish because of one missed day. I can't exactly abandon you like this, can I?" Lysander gave a small smile, helping him walk over to his desk. "I'll help with the papers once I text him. It will provide me with a way to pass the time."

"Only if you want to," Nathaniel chuckled, starting to get to work. Lysander fumbled with his phone for a while, before managing to send a message to his friend. Then he sat down and took a portion of the papers. They worked in comfortable silence, Lysander occaisionally asking questions about the work before them.

Much later, they were done work for the day. Lysander watched the other carefully as they walked out of the school.

"You do that much paperwork everyday?" Lysander questioned.

"Yes. Sometimes more, if there's an event or the teachers want to dump their work on someone. That's why when Castiel won't sign a form, it makes things really difficult," Nathaniel explained as they walked.

"I'm sorry it makes things difficult," Lysander said sympathetically. "He really hates it, though."

"And I'm not particularily fond of forcing him to do it," Nathaniel admitted with a bitter smile. "But if he doesn't, not only does he suffer, I suffer too."

"There's no way around it?"

"There is another type of paperwork that can be done, but it is a very painstaking and extensive process. Sometimes, if it's a slow day, I'll chose that option instead. I doubt Castiel has even noticed though."

Lysander felt truly baffled, and touched, that Nathaniel went to such lengths to make others feel better. Even for someone who was supposedly his enemy.

"I'm sorry I'm saying all this to you," Nathaniel apologized. "It's just that I'm not a very interesting person, and I didn't know what else to talk about," he admitted.

"I don't mind, I like to listen," Lysander said with a smile.

After a couple more short conversations, they reached Nathaniel's house. It was very large and grand-looking, but Lysander couldn't help bet get a cold feeling from it. Once again, he worried for the kind teen next to him.

"Thank you so much, Lysander," Nathaniel said with a smile.

"It was my pleasure," he replied, leaving to start his long walk home.

* * *

The next day after school, Castiel noticed that Lysander seemed more distracted than usual.

"What's on your mind?" he grunted, making Lysander jump slightly.

"I'm sorry if I worried you."

"That's not answering my question." Lysander tried to think of a way to word it. Castiel tended to get cranky when Nathaniel was brought up. In the end, he just said it straight.

"I'm worried about Nathaniel." Castiel tensed.

"Why the hell would you do a thing like that?" he demanded. Lysander sighed.

"He's not as bad as you think he is, Castiel."

"Like hell he's not!"

"Did you know he's bullied?" Lysander tried, glad when Castiel's eyes widened in surprise. "I saved him from a bully yesterday."

"Is that why you missed practice? Can't prez fight his own battles?!" Castiel grumbled. But his heart wasn't in it anymore. Lysander felt it.

"He hurt himself in the morning, and he had felt off after that. I suspect the previous injury was also the bully's doing." Castiel grudgingly admitted that it added up with the supsicious reactions. "The reason I missed practice was because Nathaniel hit his head rather hard against the lockers, and was having violent dizzy spells, to the point of slurred speech and impaired vision. I had to escort him home."

"...Why are you telling me all this?" Castiel muttered, wishing they could be tlaking about something else. Lysander sighed.

"Because you asked. And because I'm really worried for him. The way he is now, he doesn't seem... safe. He was limping this morning."

"He hurt his ankle, remember?"

"But that's just it Castiel," Lysander said, leaning in. "It was the other ankle." He sat back again, looking down at the guitar amp.

"...You really are worried about him," Castiel said, staring at his friend with unreadable eyes.

"Aren't you?" Lysander looked up at him through his bangs with intense eyes.

"... No," Castiel said, looking away. Lysander smiled.

Because for the first time since he had started asking that, Castiel was lying.


	4. Chapter 4

**I figured out page breaks, finally! Huhuhu~**

Limping through the school while trying his hardest not to do just that, Nathaniel made a beeline for his locker. Sighing in relief as the lock clicked open, he leaned heavily on the now-open door, trying to grab his books with his other hand.

"Hey sexy~"

Nathaniel choked and spluttered in surprise, looking up to see Candy. The teen was leaning casually against the nearby locker, smiling mischeviously.

"You don't have to do that!" he began as she started to collect his books and folders.

"I want to," she said simply, sharply jerking her head to try and rid her face of bangs without her hands. She swung the door closed with one victorian-heeled foot, and Nathaniel locked it, sighing in defeat. "How's that ankle doing, sweetie?"

"Better," he lied. Well actually, it was the truth. THAT ankle was better. The other one had a horrible black and purple bruise. Gee, thanks dad. However, it was the half-truth to what she asked that allowed him to lie convincingly.

"You're still limping," she said in a deadpan. He was relieved that she didn't notice the switch. But honestly, who would? No one paid attention to detail like that.

"But it FEELS better," Nathaniel elaborated. "I'm heading for the Student Council Room." Candy followed him, her skirt bouncing as she lightly walked beside him, heels clicking against the hard polished floor.

"Do you ever go to class?" Candy asked, the corners of her mouth quirking up into a fond smile despite her concerns. She looked down as one of the books almost fell off the pile, and quickly re-adjusted her hold on them so that they were back in balance.

"Of course, I've just been busy," he huffed, trying to keep his back straight. When he reached the familiar door, he pulled out his keys and unlocked it, limping in and flicking on the lights. Candy's gasp of surprise escaped her lips the same time Nathaniel's tired sigh escaped his.

"What happened here?!" Candy demanded, looking around the normally clean room.

Papers were strewn all over, chairs and tables overturned, food stomped into the ground.

"Looks like Brad's handywork," Nathaniel decided wearily.

"This has happened before?!"

"Yes. Nothing is ever missing, of course. It just takes a long time to clean and sort everything again."

"I'll help!" Nathaniel turned to her with a reprimanding look.

"Absolutely not, you need to go to class! You already missed part of yesterday!" he said, sounding very much like a mother hen. The bell to signal the start of school rang, as if helping to dissuade her. Candy puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

"Fine. But I'll be checking in on you at lunchtime, mister!" she said, leaving hesitantly. "Don't strain yourself."

"Of course not!" Nathaniel smiled and waved until she closed the door, and then groaned, turning a chair back over and sitting down in it heavily. He just needed to rest his ankle for a bit.

He brushed the blond hair out of his face, blinking in surpsise as the door burst open. Upon seeing who it was, he adopted an expressionless face.

"Hey, prez," Brad said, flipping his jet-black greasy hair out of his face. However, he did so by jerking his head continuously, looking absolutely ridiculous. Completely unnecessary when his hands were simply in his pockets.

"Brad," he said stonily, staring him in the face.

"D'ya like my surprise?" he said with a grin. "Me'n the boys spent all night workin' on it. I think we wasted at least n'hour just chewing 'nough gum to cover the bottom of the desk." Nathaniel blanched. He hadn't even thought to look under the desk yet.

"What exactly are you aiming for?" Nathaniel said cooly, not missing a beat.

"Fun," Brad said simply. "You're always so frekishly neat; I wanted ta help ya loosen up a little."

"Not appreciated," Nathaniel sighed, raising a hand to his temples. He didn't miss Brad's smirk.

"I know."

"Well, are you going to leave now?"

"Nah," Brad began, causing the student body president to glance at him sharply. "I think I'm gonna stay for a bit and watch. Watch you turn around and pick up all. Those. Papers," he said with a smirk. Nathaniel did not like where this was going. He stood, the chair clattering to the ground.

"Get out, Brad."

"Keep your pants on, prez, I'm going!" Brad said, a smile still fixed on his face. A smile because he had won.

Nathaniel groaned in annoyance once he was gone. He shouldn't have done that. No doubt now that Brad had found a way to get to him, he'd be using it again in the near future.

Well, he had to get to work.

* * *

Come round lunchbreak time, Nathaniel was just doing the fine details in the re-organizing of his papers. Candy gawked when she walked in.

"It's spotless," she said in shock, sitting down heavily. "Are you a robot, Natty?"

"Hardly," Nathaniel said dryly, holding up a paper to the light to see the fine print, before placing it in a folder.

"Then how...?" Candy trailed off, gesturing at the entirety of the room, which practically glistened.

"It's elementary," he replied with a smile, making her giggle. The smile was quickly wiped from his face when he saw the paper at the bottom of the file. "That's right, I still need to get Castiel to sign it," he muttered. "And an additional one for yesterday." He grumbled unintelligible things to himself as he grabbed two papers from a perfectly organized folder.

"Couldn't you just use the other method if you don't want to face him?" Candy suggested.

"I've just wasted the whole morning cleaning this room, I don't even have time to finish the paperwork I NEED to finish today," he explained, limping for the door.

"But you're injured!" Candy said, outraged. Nathaniel was almost tempted to tell her that he was almost always injured, but thought better. "Let me do it!"

"That didn't go over well last time," he reminded her. She had nothing to say to that. "I'll be back soon, okay?" Candy nodded reluctantly.

As the door closed, she leaned back, fiddling with her hair clip and biting her lip with concern. Although she had something up her sleeve for the two, and she suspected Lysander did as well, that didn't stop her from worrying. With their obstinancy, anything and everything could go wrong.

* * *

Nathaniel sighed at the entrance to the courtyard, taking a deep breath. Feeling calm and collected, he pushed the doors open and limped out.

As he suspected, Castiel was there, hands in his pockets, staring at nothing. At the sound of the door, his eyes flickered over uninterestedly, and narrowed as the intruder was recognized. He shot the president his best glare, but Nathaniel was completely unaffected. Castiel didn't scare him one bit.

"I would very much appreciate it if you signed these, please," Nathaniel said, trying to stay professional in the vicinity of the other. There was only a slight tenseness in his shoulders and legs.

"Get lost," was the short, stubborn reply. The blond sighed in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I try to be nice about this, but I don't have time to argue today."

"Maybe I don't either. Maybe I'm busy."

"Doing what?!" Nathaniel said, exasperatedly throwing his arms up. "You're standing there zoning out!"

"I was thinking," Castiel ground out. The blond could have thrown an insult about his thinking capabilities, but held back. He just needed to get this over with.

"Please sign this so I can leave," the student body president tried.

"As much as I hate your company, I don't want to sign the stupid forms." Castiel watched in mild interest as Nathaniel made an aggravated noise, face turning red with frustration.

"What does it TAKE with you?!" he exclaimed, glaring. The redhead smirked.

"There's the prez I know and love."

"**Don't **call me prez," Nathaniel said darkly. It reminded him of Brad, although Brad said the word much worse. "And this isn't me. This is an ANGRY me."

"No, this is what you keep bottled up inside you all day," Castiel said in a condescending tone. "To everyone else, you're goody-two-shoes Nathaniel, student body president with the patience of a saint." He leaned in to meet the other's unwavering glare. "I know what you're really like. Stop trying to pretend."

_Stop trying to pretend. _Nathaniel allowed himself a sharp intake of breath as the last sentence bounced around in his head. All of it got into his head more than the other bullies, but that one sentence...

"I'm leaving," Nathaniel muttered, voice wavering slightly as he shoved the papers into the (mildly), surprised redhead. He limped away quickly, face hidden from his view.

Castiel stared blankly down at the crumpled papers in his hand. As the door slammed shut, and blond hair bobbed past the window, he wondered what had just happened.

"I hate people that don't make any sense," he growled, frowning.

Because whenever someone didn't make sense, he was tempted to try and figure them out.

* * *

Candy jumped when Nathaniel opened the door hurriedly, wondering if something had happened. But once the door was open, he recollected himself, and tiredly walked over to a chair, plunking himself onto it and letting his head thump into the table.

"I'm guessing it didn't go so well," she mused as Nathaniel rubbed his forehead, muttering a quiet "ow."

"Candy?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"I really, REALLY don't like him."

"Yes, he's insufferable. But you also have to admit he's attractive." Nathaniel groaned at this, once again introducing his forehead to the table top.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry Nathaniel! TT^TT**

_Inhale._

_ ..._

_ And exhale._

Nathaniel took deep breaths outside his house. The large, impressive building loomed over him, the very structure seeming to emit a foreshadowed dread. There were beautiful, bright flowers in pots on the oustide, tended to by his mother. Warm, glowing lights hung from the eves, making it bright and cheerful looking, and making it seem like a haven in the dimming light.

Lies. The blond teen knew its' true form. And what it held inside.

_Inhale._

_ ..._

_ Exhale._

Slowly, he opened the door. It was soundless, oiled to perfection. After all, everything in this house had to be perfect.

He walked in quietly, slipping off his shoes and gently placing them on the rack, taking a moment to align them with the other pairs.

"You're late, boy." Nathaniel jumped at the gruff voice, slowly turning to face his father. From where he crouched on the cold floor, the man towered over him.

Nathaniel's father, first name Craig, was an intimidating man. Craig was a man of buisness. Respectable. Dependable. He would almost always be found in a suit and tie, folds pressed and fabric unwrinkled. His hair was pepper gray, with some streaks of white running through it, and it was styled in a way screamed "serious". He had no beard, and appeared quite slim and tall. From the view of someone looking at the family, he seemed like a model father.

And so he was. But as Craig eyed his son with his cold blue eyes, Nathaniel felt that all familiar sliver of doubt in his heart. That this wasn't right. That he didn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry father," he said quietly, not looking at him. "There was more work to do today, and I couldn't leave it unfinished."

"I don't want excuses." Craig's volume had not increased yet, but his voice was certainly laced with venom, and darkness that had surely not been there before.

"Where's mother?" Nathaniel asked cautiously, fearing the answer.

"She is still on her buisness trip. Your sister is at a friend's. Don't think you can escape this, boy." Nathaniel squeaked as he was grabbed by the back of his collar and dragged forcefully down the stairs, his shirt riding up uncomfortably. Once they reached the basement, where there were no nearby windows, he was slammed into the wall. The back of his head struck it hard, and he was left dazed as his father began to speak.

"You always, ALWAYS come home when you're supposed to," his father ordered menacingly. "I've told you this time and time again, but I'm beginning to believe you're too stupid to understand something so infuriatingly simple. What will it take, boy?"

"Dad, please-" Nathaniel began to plead, and whimpered as he was slapped across the face harshly.

"I don't want to hear it," Craig growled. "You're so worthless!" He roughly dragged him over to the almost-bare shelves in the corner of the unused part of the basement, shoving him onto the ground. Nathaniel made a small noise as he hit the hard floor. "I'm not asking anything big of you!"

The blonde hung his head in shame. Because he knew his father was right. It wasn't hard. He was just too stupid and useless. He looked up through his bangs at the sound of duct tape being unwound. It must've come from the shelf.

"What are you doing?!" Nathaniel asked in fear as his father held his wrists together around the bottom of the shelf.

"You're sleeping down here tonight. Hopefully this will be enough to help you learn." These words were said as tape was wound tightly around his wrists, making sure he couldn't detatch himself from the shelf.

"No, please dad! Let me try again!" Nathaniel tried, shaking his head desperately. His father roughly placed the tape over his lips, before winding it several times around his whole head. It was a signal for him to be quiet.

And quiet Nathaniel was. He didn't make so much as a peep as his father taped his torso to the side of the shelf, or when he taped his ankles together. Not even when he was given a swift kick to the ribs, which were still sore from his encounter with Jared.

"I'll take the tape off before I leave for work," his father said, standing up and leaving for the stairs. "Breathe a word of this to anyone, and the consequences will be extraordinary."

The light was flicked off, plunging Nathaniel into darkness. As the door to the basement slammed shut, he allowed himself to cry. Because even though he had to deal with people hurting him all the time, his father's punishments were always the worst.

He didn't want to sleep. The shadows on the walls seemed to be moving, and he thought once or twice he had heard tiny pattering over the floors, like that of a mouse. But he was so tired...

Finally, fell asleep, his head drooping forwards.

* * *

"Hey sweetie," Candy said that morning, hugging Nathaniel tightly. "You look tired."

"Yeah, thanks to that setback yesterday, I got home really late, and then I had to stay up late studying," Nathaniel admitted, smiling warmly. He was grateful that she cared. That she noticed the small things about him. He was also grateful she didn't notice too much.

"Aw, that sucks!" she commented, sticking her tongue out and screwing her eyes shut for a moment. "Let me take your books!"

"Candy-" He broke off as she grabbed his books form him, humming to herself happily and clutching them tightly. "Nevermind," he conceded, realising it wasn't worth trying to dissuade her. He headed for the student council room.

"Your ankle is still bothering you?" she asked worriedly, noticing his small limp.

"It's on the mend," he reassured her. "Just give it time." The blond fumbled with the keys for a moment, before opening it, directing Candy where to set his things.

"Looks like no one trashed the room today," Candy said in relief, looking around.

"Someone trashed the room?"

The two jumped, whirling around to see Castiel leaning against the door frame. He didn't seem particularilly interested in the information; he was simply giving them both a neutral frown.

"Castiel!" Nathaniel exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Don't sneak up on people like that!" Candy said at the same time, clutching her heart as if she expected it to stop at any moment.

"What are you doing here?" Nathaniel asked, eyeing him warily. He backed up when Castiel started forward, almost falling backwards over a table. He blinked as two crumpled papers were shoved in front of him. Quickly, he looked them over. They were both signed. He looked up at the other in disbelief.

"Someone trashed the room?" Castiel repeated, expression unchanging.

"Yeah," Candy answered. "The whole place was a mess. Papers everywhere, food stomped into the floor, gum plastered to the bottom of the desk, tables overturned..." She trailed off when Nathaniel shot her a look. Castiel caught the look, eyes narrowing.

"Why did you sign them?" Nathaniel asked, changing the subject. His eyes were narrowed with suspicion.

"... So now I'm NOT supposed to sign them?"

"That's not what I said."

"Then I don't know what the big deal is," Castiel said gruffly, turning to head for the door.

"Aw, Castiel has a heart!" Candy said, not phased at all when the redhead shot her a death glare.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he growled defensively. "Lysander harassed me into doing it. I hope you're happy that you've got my best friend on your side, prez," he added in Nathaniel's direction. The blond winced at "prez".

"Don't call me that."

Castiel looked sharply at the blond. That was the second time since yesterday he had reacted badly to that nickname. Before that, he hadn't even seemed to care. Why the change?

"I'm leaving. If either of you pathetic losers has a problem with that, speak now," Castiel said. Silence. "Awesome," he said unenthusiastically, slamming the door shut on his way out.

"Is it just me, or did he seem really ticked off?" Candy asked, after a moment of thinking.

"It probably didn't help that you teased him," Nathaniel pointed out, smiling cheekily. He chuckled when she lightly slapped him on the shoulder, puffing her cheeks out and frowning.

**That's the end of the chapter.**

** Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! Honestly, they all make me smile really wide! They really do make a difference, and you're all really sweet :) Love to you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

** Agh, this chapter took a while, sorry guys. I just wasn't sure how to put it into words, I suppose. Keep cheering me on, because if I can't get this done before late August, the story's going on hiatus until late June -.- *sweat sweat* I have such a busy school year coming up that I have to put all my writing on hold. I literally won't be able to afford the time.**

** So yes, lots of stress on me right naow :/**

After Castiel's appearance, Candy stayed with Nathaniel for awhile, going on and on about K-pop until the morning bell went. Then she was gone, and the blond was alone.

The first thing he did was stand and stretch. He was still stiff from the previous night. As the memory resurfaced, Nathaniel's expression became dark and troubled. Although he was sure he deserved it, because he had been very late... It just didn't seem right.

He shook his head. There was no point in dwelling on it now.

He worked all through the morning. A few teachers dropped by, and gave excuses as to why Nathaniel should do their paperwork for them. Of course, he wasn't really allowed to say no anyways, he accepted to all of them with a smile, which would vanish as soon as they left. In its' place would be dark mutterings.

Nathaniel didn't even notice the lunch bell, and therefore did not question Candy's absence.

* * *

"Castiel, I want to talk to you."

The redhead turned, coming face to face with Candy, who had a determined look on her face. He sighed, waving his hand as if motioning for her to get on with it. She took a deep breath.

"I need you to make an effort to not hate Nathaniel."

Castiel's eyes narrowed at that, and he crossed his arms, glaring down at her.

"Why should I?" he demanded, cross at being told to do such a thing.

"Because!-" Candy began loudly, then stopped, seriously thinking about how she would say what she wanted to. That alone was enough to indicate how serious she was about this. The next time she talked, it was quieter. "Because Nathaniel had enough to deal with," she said cryptically. "And he hates being hated."

"Maybe I will," he began, making Candy raise an eyebrow. It couldn't be that easily. Where was the if or but? "If you explain to me exactly what he has to go through everyday that makes it so damn important." There it was.

Candy frowned. Nathaniel would be very cross with her if she told it to someone, especially Castiel, but she was doing it for him. She hadn't thought she would have to give away that kind of information. But she knew that if he was no longer at odds with Castiel, it would be a huge load off his shoulders. After at least a minute of silence and deep thinking, she spoke again.

"Only if you swear this information is kept confidential." At a solemn nod from Castiel, she began to sum it up. "On one hand, he's student council president, and that comes with a lot of work and stress. The teachers use his position as an excuse to dump their work on him; the teachers too. And he has no choice but to grin and bear it."

"Why doesn't he just quit?" Castiel asked irritably.

"The same reason he has to have perfect grades. His dad wants a perfect son. But as far as I can tell from what I've heard of him, nothing Nathaniel does ever seems to be good enough." She shook her head. She was getting off topic, and revealing information that didn't need to be given. "On the other hand, he's... Bullied," she said softly, not meeting his eyes. She felt horrible betraying Nathaniel like this. "By lots of people. At least three, I would guess. And that's just the serious stuff. He gets shoved in the hallways and insulted casually all the time."

"I thought so," Castiel said, feeling oddly satisfied to know he was right. "Anything else?"

"Nothing big," Candy said reluctantly. Then something hit her. Something that Nathaniel would only find mildly embarassing if it was revealed. And it helped her plan too. "...I suppose there might be one more factor..."

"...What?" Castiel asked impatiently, when he realized Candy wouldn't continue until he asked.

"He gets... Hit on. A lot."

"Tch, I already knew that," the redhead scoffed. "Have you seen all the cards he gets on Valentines Day?"

"That's not what I mean!" Candy said, stomping her foot in frustration. "I mean he gets hit on by guys!"

"...Guys," Castiel said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Nobody that goes to the school, I think. A lot of older men though, and some sleezebags from other schools. He really hates it, because he generally can't get them to go away until he uses physical force, and he can only do that once they touch him in some way." Then she clapped a hand over her own mouth. "I've said too much!" she exclaimed, mortified.

Castiel didn't really pay attention to her fretting. Nathaniel got hit on by other men? And he couldn't do anything about it until they... Touched him? That just didn't seem right. But he could see it being a problem, what with his smooth skin, fair hair, and slight figure... He growled, banishing those thoughts before they could go where they shouldn't. It was only teenaged hormones.

"You realize that if Nathaniel ever found out you told me all this, he might stop being friends with you," he said as a way to change the subject. Candy's face fell, and he almost felt guilty.

"...I know that," she whispered sadly. "But I also know that if you two could stop fighting, it would help him so much. I'm willing to take the chance."

"You'd do that for him?" Castiel asked in disbelief. Candy nodded, hugging herself tightly. "Then I won't mention it to anyone else."

"Thank you, Castiel!" Candy exclaimed, hugging him before he could escape. Then she ran off, leaving him with much to think about.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Nathaniel."

Nathaniel froze at that voice.

"Fancy, meeting you here," the voice continued, chuckling slightly. The blond took a deep breath, standing to face the other.

"This is the student council room, Brian," he began, inwardly fighting to stay calm. "I highly doubt this was a coincidence."

"I really don't think you want to act all smart if you know what's good for you, fag," Brian spat, his whole demeanor changing in an instant. Nathaniel didn't even blink, but inwardly he was terrified. Brian was totally unstable, making him unpredictable. He remembered when the other had pulled a knife out a few months back.

"..." Nathaniel didn't say anything, knowing that whatever he did or didn't do would be held against him.

"Tina won't stop talking about how you were so kind as to help her out the other day," Brian began, causing Nathaniel to close his eyes. "If you don't stop trying to steal her, I'm going to kill you!" he snarled, grabbing Nathaniel by the collar.

"It was one math question that SHE asked ME to explain!" Nathaniel exclaimed, glaring as he tried to break out of the angry jock's hold. Unfourtunately, the guy wasn't a football player for nothing, and he couldn't get the beefy hands to release him. "I'm not stealing anybody!"

"'Cause you're a fag!" Brian mocked, throwing him backwards. Nathaniel stumbled, falling and hitting his head on the table behind him. Dazed and in severe pain, he barely registered what else Brian said, only feeling the full-powered football kick to his ribs.

He fell onto his side, gasping, as Brian left, closing the door behind was sure that by now his ribs must be cracked or SOMETHING. Not that getting help for them would do anything. He just had to wait for them to heal.

Eventually, he was able to sit up, clutching his head. A bump was beginning to form.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!

Nathaniel jumped as Candy was suddenly next to him, fussing over him.

"I'm fine, I just fell," he lied, wincing as she gently touched the bump on his head. "I hit the table."

"We need to put ice on that," Candy decided, wrapping one arm around his waist. She frowned when he took in a breath, closing his eyes in pain. "You didn't just fall, did you?!" He had obviously hurt his ribcage somehow.

"I thought you said it needed ice," he countered, making her sigh in frustration.

"Stay here," she ordered, leaving the room.

In her absence, Nathaniel managed to pull himself up onto the chair, slouching heavily. She was back quickly, face flushed from running.

"Here," Candy said, handing the ice to him. She watched worriedly as he gently pressed it to his head. After a few moments, it was already starting to feel better.

"Thanks Candy," he said, feeling guilty that he hadn't just told her the truth in the first place. "I'm sorry I lied at first. I don;t know what I'd do without you."

"Likewise," Candy said with a smile, taking his free hand in hers and squeezing it. She couldn't help the guilt that overcame her. She no longer deserved his trust.

** That's the end of the chapter! Review if you please!**

** BTW, for those are confused about the bullies I've introduced so far:**

** -Jared: Responsible for most of Nathaniel's physical injuries, such as slamming him into lockers and tripping him while he's running.**

** -Brad: Likes making him uncomfortable, and vandalising the room. Enjoys messing with Nat's head and freaking him out.**

** -Brian: Has a girlfriend that talks about Nat a lot, leading to him beating up and bothering Nat.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Good morning, sweetie!" Candy beamed when Nathaniel entered the student council room.

"... Where did the sweetie thing come form, by the way?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. If she wasn't going to explain how she got in the room without a key, he was going to treat it as the norm... and buy a lock for his room.

"Doctor Who." She nodded slightly to herself, smiling. "There's a character that calls the Doctor that all the time."

"I see," he sighed, sitting down in a chair next to her. Then her eyes dawned in recognition.

"Hey, your ankle's better!" Candy noticed, clapping her hands together. "Fantastic!" She grabbed Nathaniel's hand. "This calls for... Nat, are you okay?" The second she had grabbed his hand, he had winced, biting his lip. She took the hand again gently, turning it over.

"Nathaniel?! Your hands are burnt! How?!" she demanded, inspecting the red markings and peeled flesh on the tops of his hands.

"...I knocked over the kettle," Nathaniel chuckled, wincing when she touched the burns gently. "You know how much of a clutz I am." Candy sighed, frowning.

"Well, I'm going to go to the nurse's office for a moment and grab something for these. DON'T go anywhere," she ordered, running out.

Nathaniel sighed once she was gone, looking down at his hands. His father had thrown his steaming coffee all over them the previous night out of the blue. He must be really stressed at work... That was probably why he was being even harsher than he usually was.

He sat in thought until Candy returned, only really snapping out of it when she placed some cream on his hands. That brought him back to reality, hissing in pain and clenching his other fist.

"Owowow," he complained, biting his lip.

"Stay still!" Candy exclaimed, exasperated.

"What are you two doing?"

They both snapped their gazes to the new person in the room. Castiel and Lysander were standing in the doorway, staring at them. The redhead strode in, putting out his hand.

"...Huh?" the two asked unintelligently, causing Castiel to sigh in frustration.

"Give it to me, I'll do it. You obviously have no idea what you're doing," he grunted.

"And you do?" Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, pain forgotten for a moment.

"Lysander's spacing out and burning himself all the time," Castiel elaborated. The Victorian-esque boy in question coughed into his hand to mask his embarassment, making Candy giggle. She handed it to him, making Nathaniel open his mouth to object. "Shut it, prez."

"Don't call me that," the blonde teen muttered, wincing when the cream was gently applied. It wasn't as bad as Candy's attempt, but it still HURT. Almost as much as when they were actually burned. He bit his lip.

"Stop fidgeting," Castiel ordered after a moment of silence, glancing up at him briefly and then ducking his head again. What the hell was he biting his lip for?! Lip biting should be illegal. "...How the hell did this happen, anyway?"

"I knocked over the KETTLE!" Nathaniel tried explaining, his voice rising to a squeak on the last word when Castiel accidentally put too much on at once.

"Uh-_huh_," redhead said with emphasis, letting it be known that he thought it was a lie. But he said nothing more. It didn't concern him and he had no desire to make it so. "Done."

"He needs to be bandaged too," Candy said weakly from where she stood next to Lysander, making the rebel sigh aggravatedly.

He picked up one of the teen's frail hands, frowning again. If he spilled it himself, how did he manage to only get it on the tops of both his hands? It didn't add up. He sighed again, beginning to wrap a bandage around the first hand.

"Owowowow..." Nahtaniel whispered under his breath, clenching and relaxing his other hand.

"Shut up and sit still, you're not making this any easier," Castiel grunted. Nathaniel huffed, rolling his eyes.

"Can't you be a bit gentler?"

"Oi, do you want me to do it or not?!"

"Am I the only one that believes they're behaving like a quarreling married couple?" Lysander asked Candy quietly in a good-natured manner. She laughed loudly, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"I heard that!" Nathaniel informed the two, shooting them both an accusatory stare.

"Heard what?" Castiel asked suspiciously, looking over at his best friend. Lysander raised his hands slightly, smiling.

"Nothing, please continue with what you were doing." This of course made Candy laugh again, leaning against the wall when it didn't stop. Castiel warily returned to his work, giving Nathaniel one more warning at one point that made Candy start laughing all over again.

"Done," he huffed, standing. He glanced over at Candy, who was on the floor. "I don't see what's so funny."

"I can't breathe!" she gasped out between giggles.

"Serves you right," the rebel muttered, before suddenly remembering what he had come for in the first place. "Right," he said, slamming a piece of paper down on the table. The student body president jumped at the sudden noise, looking at it in confusion.

"It's an absentee form." Castiel groaned, rolling his eyes. "Are you that stupid?" Nathaniel's eyes narrowed. "I'm skipping school today, so here's the form."

"That's not really how it works-"

"Look, would you rather harass me for it later? It's not like you can stop me from doing it."

Nathaniel stared at him in confusion, and then suddenly realized that this wasn't about the form at all. It was a peace offering, of sorts. He glanced up at the redhead in surprise, who stared back down at him with a neutral expression.

"Thank you," he said, blinking his brown eyes.

"...For the form or the saving of your hands?" Castiel grunted as he made for the door.

"Both, I suppose," Nathaniel admitted, making a face. He didn't like feeling like he owed anyone anything.

"C'mon, Lys," the redhead grumbled, pulling his friend away by the elbow. Lysander waved to the two still in the room as he was led away.

"Wait, Castiel, have you seen my notebook?" was the last thing they heard.

"What was that form thing about?" Candy asked, raising an eyebrow as she dusted herself off.

"...It felt like he was making a peace offering," Nathaniel mused, sitting back in his chair. "Which is strange in itself. But why would he suddenly change his mind?" he asked aloud.

"Maybe he realized how attractive you are?" The blonde choked, blushing.

"Where did that come from?!" he demanded, willing the colour in his cheeks to die down.

"Nowhere~"

* * *

Walking home from school that day, the last thing Nathaniel was expecting was to get stopped by Brian.

The tall teen loomed over him, and the blonde blinked in confusion as Jared also walked out, a few more boys at his heels.

"Guys, I can't do this now," he said in slight fear. If he was late, he'd have to answer to his father.

"But we want to put you in your place!" Jared exclaimed, making the others chuckle. "And that just can't wait."

"Get ready to feel the beating of your life," Brian hissed, pulling back a fist.

**Geez, I hope you guys really like this story. I wish there were more CastielxNathaniel stories for ME to read, as it's no fun reading my own. How about each of YOU write one ****oneshot, and then we can all be happy? XD Just kidding, you don't have to do that.**

** Part of the reason I write these is in hopes that more authors will follow. I've seen a couple other stories popping up, which is really awesome :) (I know it's not really because of me, but I can dream, right? XD)**

** Also, LYYYYYSANDERRRRR! You're so pretty and why do your dialogue choices always have to be so unclear in comparison to Nathaniel's?!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I've decided that since there are a lot more people waiting on this story than the other one, I'll focus on this one until my time runs out. I doubt I'll be able to finish it, but there will at least be some progress (hopefully).**

"Get ready to feel the beating of your life," Brian hissed, pulling back a fist.

As the fist went for his face, Nathaniel dodged, snaking past him and attempting ot make a break for it before he was late. But it was in vain, because two of the other boys grabbed him, holding his arms. The student body president made a small noise when a fist collided with the side of his face. He blinked, dazed as the whole area tingled like it was on fire. For several moments, he saw stars.

While he was still dazed, several blows were dealt to his gut. Nathaniel yelped involuntarily, keeling over as all the air was forced out of his lungs. Someone grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head up. He squinted, faintly recognising the blurry outline of Jared's leer.

Someone gave him a full-powered boxing kick to the side, and his whole body bent from the harsh snapping attack. The boys released him as he fell to the ground. They began to kick at him, laughing and jeering. They showed no signs of stopping.

"HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" came a loud voice a minute later. "Better scram, because I just took a picture, and I'm getting ready to dial the police." Nathaniel lay on the cold, wet ground, feeling numb except for a small sense of relief. A dog whined, licking at his face until someone shooed him away.

He shakily tried to stand, collapsing a moment later. Someone grabbed him before he hit the ground.

"Take it easy, prez." Nathaniel squinted, and was unable to make out any defining features on the person's face (his vision was still messed up). He did make out a shock of red hair, which told him all he needed to know. The voice suddenly sounded much more familiar.

"Dn't call m'prez," Nathaniel mumbled, noting dully that cold water had seeped through his clothes.

"Can you stand?" Castiel asked gruffly. The blonde screwed his eyes shut, and exerted all of his strength, managing to rise to his feet. His knees were wobbling dangerously, and his body felt so heavy. He was sure there would be bruises all over. Luckily, it was early winter, so he might not get questioned for wearing long sleeves and a scarf to school on Monday. Luckily, he would have the whole weekend to start healing. If his dad didn't kill him. His eyes widened in realization.

"Have t'get home!" he gasped out, his speech still slightly slurred. He started forward, his knees buckling almost instantly. Castiel caught him again.

"Slow down. You need to get these injuries looked at. " Nathaniel quickly shook his head, regretting it because of the dizziness it caused.

"I can't. I can't b'late!" he stressed, eyes widening dramatically. Castiel looked at him suspiciously as the blonde took in uneven, panicked breaths. What was so important about it? It was too perfectionistic, even for him. "Y'can't tell 'nyone!"

"...You can't even walk."

"'Can walk jus' fine," Nathaniel retorted. He attempted to prove his point, but his body went limp again almost instantly. He knew he could do it when he had to. He had managed on his own before. If Castiel did one more thing for him, the blonde would end up becoming his slave for life or something.

The redheaded rebel rolled his eyes, picking him up before he fell again. Nathaniel didn't even turn red, he was so out of it. The only pink on his cheeks was from the chill in the air.

Castiel groaned inwardly in annoyance as he glanced down at the weary blonde. Just because he was making an effort not to detest him didn't mean he should have to save him all the time. But he couldn't just leave someone in that kind of situation, no matter who it was.

"Where do you live?" he asked grumpily, frowning. Nathaniel realised it was pointless to fight back, and relaxed in the other's hold, whispering out his address. Thankfully, Castiel knew where that was, and he began walking, Demon trailing behind.

The journey was carried out in silence. At one point, Nathaniel had to tip his head back, as his nose started to bleed.

Nathaniel blinked when they reached the house. It didn't look like anybody was home. Castiel set him down, letting him lean against the side of the house as he rung the doorbell. No answer. The student body president shakily dug into his pocket, pulling out a key. Castiel snatched it out of his hand, using it to open the door.

"Th-thank you," Nathaniel said, his teetch clattering from the cold. He was shivering in an almost convulsive manner.

"Is no one home?" Castiel grunted, raising an eyebrow.

"My m-mother'sss at a c-conf-ference, and Amber's p-probably s-s-sleeping over at a friend's."

"Your dad?"

"I d-don't know," Nathaniel stuttered out, clutching himself tightly as the shivering intensified. "A-answering machine might h-have something." He stumbled inside, not bothering to take off his shoes. Castiel hesitated for a breif moment, before grudgingly following him. Someone would have to tend to his injuries, and no one seemed to be avaliable except for him. He doubted the student body president would be able to do it himself in his condition.

He and Demon followed him into the kitchen, and then listened to the message play. It sounded like his dad had a short unexpected buisness call, and would be gone for a couple days. Nathaniel relaxed in relief, before walking out of the room and attempting to climb the stairs.

Castiel watched for a moment as Nathaniel tried to do it himself, clutching at the railing like it was a lifeline. It looked like he would fall over at the slightest push. The redhead sighed, picking him up again and carrying him up the flight of steps before he managed to hurt himself more. The blonde squeaked, and Castiel made a face at how cold the other felt. That couldn't be good.

He set him down again once they reach the top, following Nathaniel into his bedroom. He made a noise of disapproval when the blonde simply collapsed onto his bed.

Castiel left the room and, after much wandering, found the first aid kit in the bathroom. He brought it back to the blonde, forcing him to sit up and helping peel the wet shirt away from his skin. Then he began to treat his wounds as best he could, also taking the time to put fresh bandages on his burnt hands.

He couldn't help but wince at all the dark spots that were beginning to form on Nathaniel's skin. And he was almost certain that not all of these injuries were caused by the attack he had just stopped. Many of them looked older, including faint tape scars on his skin. What could those be from?

Nathaniel was largely unresponsive. The only sign that he was conscious was the convulsive shivering, which was likely caused from being in his wet clothes for so long. He stared rather blankly at the floor for most of the time, his wet bangs falling in his face.

"You need to change into dry clothes," Castiel said firmly. "I'm not helping with that, so do it yourself." He walked outside of the room, closing the door and leaning against the wall.

Castiel waited for about five minutes, before opening the door again. Nathaniel was still pulling a T-shirt over his head, his pajama pants riding low on his hips. They both blushed, the blonde quickly pulling his shirt down the rest of the way and wincing at how it agitated his injuries.

"D-don't you kn-kn-knock?!" Nathaniel spluttered, more from the shivering than embarassment. Castiel willed his cheeks to calm down. He saw shirtless guys all the time, dammnit! This time was no different!

"Who takes five minutes to get changed?!" Castiel countered. In response, Nathaniel gestured to the bruises that were starting to form on his arms.

"Th-thank you for h-h-helping me h-home," Nathaniel mumbled, hugging himself as another violent shiver took over. Castiel frowned.

"You're still doing that?" he walked forwards and placed a hand on the blonde's forehead. It felt a bit cold, but otherwise fine.

"I f-feel like I'm f-frozen," the shivering teen admitted, sitting down on his bed.

"You've probably caught a chill or something. Maybe minor hypothermia, but it'll go away if you warm up enough."

"H-how do you know all th-this?!"

"I'm always picking up injuries, so I took a first aid course," Castiel said, crossing his arms. "With the amount of injuries you've been racking up recently, maybe you should too."

"...Then how should I warm up? Turn up the heat?" Nathaniel asked, trying to avoid the subject of how he got his injuries. Castiel shook his head, spraying water everywhere. He walked out, coming back with a towel on his head, drying his hair. He handed one to the other as well.

"I doubt that would work very well. Do you have anything like a hot water bottle?" The blonde shook his head. "Extra blankets?" Another no. Castiel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and cursing under his breath. After a moment or two of this, he spoke again. "The only other method I know is sharing body heat." Nathaniel had an immediate reaction, looking sharply up at the taller teen with wide eyes and an incredulous expression.

"Y-you can't b-be serious!" he said, blushing slightly at the prospect. No way.

"If you don't warm up it might get worse. Then you'd have to go to the hospital. And for whatever reason, I don't think you want to do that," Castiel said shortly, crossing his arms. He sighed, throwing his towel to the side. Nathaniel finished drying his hair also, folding it and putting it on his night table. The redhead shrugged off his coat, also kicking off his shoes. He must have forgotten to take them off at the door, because he walked in his own house with his shoes on all the time.

"Move over," Castiel ordered, inwardly dying at the prospect of what he had to do for the person he didn't even particularly like. How had taking his dog out for a walk come to this?! See if HE ever took that route again.

Nathaniel blushed again, shuffling over until he was pretty much against the wall. The bed wasn't very big, and he silently cursed his father's cheap habits. He lay down awkwardly, grateful at least that he had two pillows.

Castiel crawled onto the bed, plopping himself down uncerimoniously. He pulled the blankets over them, before shimmying closer to the other, a girmace on his face. The blonde stiffened slightly when he felt the other's skinny body press against his back, then eventually relaxed. He felt a bit warmer now, though he was still shivering periodically.

After some awkward silence, the warmth surrounded them, and they fell asleep comfortably.

**REVIEEEEEEEWWWWWWW! (please?)**


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